Part 23

The later day off August fell this cace; 695 For the reskew, thus ordanyt wicht Wallace, Off Sanct Jhonstoun, that Sothroun occupyit. Fast towart Tay thai passyt and aspyit; Or it was day wndyr Kynnowll thaim laid. Out off the toun, as Scottis men till hym said, 700 That serwandys oysyt with cartis hay to leid; So was it suth, and hapnyt in to deid. Saxsum thar com, and brocht bot cartis thre. Quhen thai off hay was ladand most byssé, Guthré with ten in handys has thaim tayn, 705 Put thaim to dede, off thaim he sawyt nayn. Wallace gert tak in haist thar humest weid, And sic lik men thai waillyt, weill gud speid; Four was rycht rud, Wallace hym selff tuk ane, A rwssyt clok, and with him gud Ruwane. 710 Guthré with that, and als gud yemen twa, In that ilk soit thai graithit thaim to ga. Full sutelly thai coueryt thaim with hay, Syne to the toun thai went the gaynest way. Fyfteyn thai tuk off men in armes wicht, 715 In ilk cart fyve thai ordanyt owt off sycht. Thir cartaris had schort suerdis, off gud steill, Wndyr thar weidis, callyt furth the cartis weill. Schyr Jhon Ramsay baid with a buschement still, Quhen mystir war to help thaim with gud will. 720 Thir trew cartaris past with outyn lett, A tour the bryg, and entryt throu the yet; Quhen thai war in, thar clokis kest thaim fra, Gud Wallace than the mayster portar can ta Wpon the hed, quhill dede he has him left; 725 Syn othir twa the lyff fra thaim has reft. Guthré, be that, did rycht weyll in the toun; And Ruwan als dang off thar famen doune. Fol. 83 b The armyt men, was in the cartis brocht, Raiss wp, and weill thar dawery has wrocht; 730 Apon the gait thai gert feill Sothroun de. The Ramsais spy, has seyn [thaim] get entré, The buschement brak, bathe bryg and port has won: Into the toun gret stryff thar was begon. Thai twenty men, or Ramsay come in playn, 735 Within the toun had saxté Sotheroun slayn. The Inglissmen on till aray was gayn; The Scottis as than layser lett them get nayn; Fra gud Ramsay with his men entryt in, Thai sawit nayn was born off Ingliss kyn. 740 Als Longaweill, the wycht knycht Schyr Thomas, Prewyt weill than, and in mony othir place. Agayn his dynt few Inglissmen mycht stand; Wallace with him gret faith and kyndnes fand. The Sotheroun part saw weill the toun was tynt, 745 Fersly thai fled, as fyr dois out off flynt. Sum fled, some fell in to draw dykis deip, Sum to the kyrk, thar lywys giff thai mycht keip; Sum fled to Tay, and in small weschell yeid; Sum derffly deit and drownyt in that steid, 750 Schir Jhon Sewart at the west port owt past; Till Meffen wod he sped him wondyr fast. A hundreth men the kyrk tuk for succour, Bot Wallace wald no grace grant in that hour. He slay bad all off cruell Sotheroun keyn; 755 And said thai had to Sanct Jhonstoun enemys beyn. Four hundreth men in to the toun war ded. Sewyn scor with lyff chapyt out off that sted. Wyffis and barnys thai maid thaim fre to ga; With Wallace wyll he wald sla nayn off tha. 760 Riches thai fand, that Inglissmen had brocht new, Syn plenyst the toun with worthi Scottis trew. Schyr Jhon Sewart left Meffen forest strang, Went to the Gask with feyll Sotheroun amang; And syn in Fyff, quhar Wallang schirreff was; 765 Send currowris sone out throw the land to pass, And gaderyt men, a stalwart cumpany. Till Ardargan he drew him prewaly; Ordand thaim in bargan reddy boune. Agayn he thocht to sailye Sanct Jhonstoun, 770 Quhar Wallace lay, and wald no langar rest, Rewllyt the toun as that him likyt best. Schyr Jhon Ramsay gret captane ordand he, Ruwan schirreff, at ane accord for to be. Fol. 84 a This charge he gaiff, gyff men thaim warnyng maid, 775 To cum till him with outyn mor abaid: And so thai did, quhen tithingis was thaim brocht. With a hundreth Wallace furth fra thaim socht.

To Fyfe he past, to wesy that cuntré, Bot wrangwarnyt off Inglissmen was he. 780 Schyr Jhon Sewart, quhen thai were passyt by, Fra the Ochell he sped him haistely; Vpon Wallace folowit in all his mycht, In Abyrnethy tuk lugyng that fyrst nycht. Apon the morn, with fyftene hundreth men, 785 Till Black Irnsyde his gydys couth them ken. Thar Wallace was, and mycht no message send Till Sanct Jhonstoun, to mak this jornay kend; For Inglissmen, that full sutell has beyn, Gart wachis walk, that nayn mycht pass betweyn. 790 Than Wallace said, “This mater payis nocht me.” He cald till him the squier gud Guthré, And Beset als, that knew full weyll the land; And ast at thaim, quhat deid was best on hand, “Message to mak, our pouer for to get; 795 “With Sotheroun sone we sall be wndirset. “And wykked Scottis, that knawis this forest best, “Thai ar the causs that we may haiff no rest. “I dred fer mar Wallang, that is thair gyd, “Than all the layff that cummys on that syd.” 800 Than Guthré said; ‘Mycht we get ane or tway ‘To Saynct Johnstoun, it war the gaynest way; ‘And warn Ramsay, we wald get succour sone. ‘Our suth it is, it can nocht now be don. ‘Rycht weyll I wait, weschell is lewyt nayn, 805 ‘Fra the Wood hawyn, to the ferry cald Aran.’ Than Wallace said; “The water cald it is; “My selff can swym, I trow, and fall na myss. “But currours oyss, that gaynys nocht for me; “And I leyff yow her, yet had I leuir de. 810 “Throw Goddis grace we sall bettir eschew; “The strenth is stark, als we haiff men inew. “In Elchoch park, bot fourty thar war we, “For sewyn hundreth, and gert feill Sothron de; “And chapyt weill in mony wnlikly place; 815 “So sall we her, throw help off Goddis grace. “Quhill men may fast, thir woddis we may hauld still; “For thi, ilk man be off trew hardy will; “And at we do so nobill in to deid, “Off ws be found no lak eftir to reid. 820 “The rycht is ouris, we suld mor ardent be; Fol. 84 b “I think to freith this land, or ellis de.” His waillyt spech, with wit and hardyment, Maid all the layff so cruell off entent; Sum bad tak feild, and giff battaill in playn. 825 Wallace said; “Nay, thai wordis are in wayn: “We will nocht leyff that may be our wantage; “The wod till ws is worth a yeris wage.” Off hewyn temyr in haist he gert thaim tak Syllys off ayk, and a stark barrés mak, 830 At a foyr frount, fast in the forest syd, A full gret strenth, quhar thai purpost to bid; Stellyt thaim fast till treis that growand was, That thai mycht weyll in fra the barrés pass; And so weill graithit on athir sid about; 835 Syn com agayn, quhen thai saw thaim in dout. Be that the strenth arayit was at rycht, The Inglis ost approchyt to thair sycht. Than Sewart com, that way for till haiff wend, As thai war wount; so his gydis thaim kend. 840 At that entré thai thocht till haiff passage; But sone thai fand that maid thaim gret stoppage. A thousand he led off men in armes strang, With fyve hundreth he gert Jhon Wallang gang With out the wod, that nayn suld pass thaim fra. 845 Wallace with him had fourty archarys thra; The layff was speris, full nobill in a neid: On thair enemys thai bykkyr with gud speid. A cruell cwntyr was at the barrés seyn. The Scottis defens so sykkyr was and keyn, 850 Sotheroun stud aw to enter thaim amang; Feill to the ground thai our threw in that thrang. A rowm was left, quhar part in frount mycht fayr; Quha entrit in, agayn yeid neuirmar. Fourty thai slew, that formast wald haiff past. 855 All dysarayit the ost was, and agast; And part off hors throw schot to dede was brocht, Brak to a playn, the Sotheroun fra them socht. The Sewart said; “Allace, how [may] this be; “And do no harm? Our gret rabut haiff we.” 860 He tald Wallang, and askyt his consaill; “Schyrreff thou art, quhat may be our awaill? “But few thai ar that makis this gret debait.” John Wallang said; ‘This is the best I wait, ‘To cess her off, and remayn her besyd; 865 ‘For thai may nocht lang in this forest byd; ‘For fawt off fud, thai mon in the cuntré; Fol. 85 a ‘Than war mar tym on thaim to mak mellé. ‘Or thai be won be fors, in to this stryff ‘Feyll at ye leid sall erar loss the lyff.’ 870 Than Sewart said; “This reid I will nocht tak: “And Scottis be warnyt, reskew sone will they mak. “Off this dispyt amendys I think to haiff, “Or de thar for in nowmyr with the laiff. “In till a rang myselff on fut will fayr.” 875 Aucht hundreth he tuk off liklyest that was thair; Syn bad the layff bid at the barrés still With Jhon Wallang, to rewyll thaim at his will. “Wallang,” he said, “be forthwart in this cace; “In sic a swar we couth nocht get Wallace. 880 “Tak hym or sla; I promess the be my lyff, “That king Edwart sall mak the erll off Fyff. “At yon est part we think to enter in; “I bid no mar, might ye this barress wyn. “Fra thai be closyt graithly amang ws sa, 885 “Bot merwell be, thai sall na ferrer ga. “Assailye sayr, quhen ye wit we cum ner; “On athir sid we sall hald thaim on ster.” Thus semlyt thai apon ane awfull wyss. Wallace has seyn quhat was thair haill dewyss. 890 “Gud men,” he said, “wndirstud ye this deid, “Forsuth thai ar rycht mekill for to dreid. “Yon Sewart is a nobill worthy knycht; “Forthwart in wer, rycht worthy, wyss and wicht. “His assailye he ordannys wondyr sayr 895 “Ws for to harm, no mannys wyt can do mar. “Plesand it is to se a chyftane ga “So chyftanlyk; it suld recomfort ma “Till his awn men, and thai of worschip be, “Than for to se ten thousand cowartis fle. 900 “Sen we ar stad with enemyss on ilk syd, “And her on fors mon in this forest bid, “Than fray the fyrst, for Goddis saik, cruellye, “That all the layff off ws abayssyt be.”

Crawfurd he left, and Longaweill the knycht, 905 Fourty with thaim, to kepe the barrés wicht: With him saxté off worthy men in weid, To meit Sewart with hardy will thai yeid. A maner dyk in to that wod wes maid, Off thuortour ryss, quhar bauldly thai abaid; 910 A downwith waill the Sothroun to thaim had. Son semblyt thai with strakis sar and sad: Scharp sperys, fast duschand on athir sid, Fol. 85 b Throw byrnys brycht maid woundis deip and wid. This wantage was, the Scottis thaim dantyt swa, 915 Nayn Inglissman durst fra his feris ga, To brek aray, or formast entyr in. Off crystin blud to se it was gret syn, For wrangwis causs; and has beyn mony day. Feyll Inglissmen in the dyk deid thai lay. 920 Speris full sone all in to splendrys sprang; With scharp suerdys thai hew on in that thrang: Blud byrstyt out throw fyn harnes off maill. Jhon Wallang als full scharply can assaill Apon Crawfurd, and the knycht Longaweill, 925 At thar power kepyt the barrés weill; Maid gud defens, be wyt, manheid, and mycht; At the entrê feyll men to dede thai dycht. Thus all at anys assailyeit in that place, Nayn that was thar durst turn fra the barrace 930 To help Wallace, nor none of his durst pass To reskew thaim, so feyll the fechtyng was. At athir ward thai handelyt thaim full hat; Bot do or de, na succour ellis thai wayt. Wallace wes stad in to that stalwart stour; 935 Guthré, Besat, with men off gret walour, Rychard Wallace, that worthi was off hand. Sewart merweillyt, that contrar thaim mycht stand, That euyr so few mycht byd in battaill place, Agaynys thaim, metyng face for face. 940 He thocht him selff to end that mater weill; Fast pressyt in with a gud suerd off steill; Into the dyk a Scottis man gert he de. Wallace tharoff in hart had gret pyté; Amendis till haiff he followit on him fast, 945 But Ingliss men so thick betwex thaim past, That apon him a strak get mycht he nocht: Wthyr worthy derffly to dede he brocht. Sloppys thai maid throu all that chewalry, The worthy Scottis thai wrocht so worthely. 950 Than Sothron saw off thar gud men so drest, Langar to bid thai thocht it nocht the best. Four scor was slayn, or thai wald leyff that steid, And fyfty als was at the barrace deid. A trumpet blew, and fra the wod thai draw; 955 Wallang left off, that sycht fra that he saw. To sailye mar thaim [thocht] it was no speid, Withowt the wod to consaill son thai yeid, The worthy Scottis to rest thaim was full fayn; Feyll hurtis had, bot few off thaim was slayn. 960 Fol. 86 a Wallace thaim bad of all gud comfort be; “Thankit be God, the fayrer part haiff we! “Yon knycht Sewart has at gret jornay beyn; “So fair assay I haiff bot seildyn seyn. “I had leuir off Wallang wrokyn be, 965 “Than ony man that is off yon menyhe.” The Scottis all on to the barress yeid, Stanchit woundis that couth full braithly bleid. Part Scottis men had bled full mekill blud; For faut off drynk, and als wantyng off fud, 970 Sum feblyt fast, that had feill hurtis thar. Wallace tharfor sichit with hart full sar. A hat he hynt, to get water is gayn; Othir refut as than he wyst off nayn. A litill strand he fand, that ran hym by; 975 Off cler watter he brocht haboundandly, And drank him selff, syn said, with sobyr mud; “The wyn off Frans me thocht nocht halff so gud.” Than off the day thre quartaris was went. Schir Jhon Sewart has castyn in his entent, 980 To sailye mar as than he couth nocht preiff; Quhill on the morn that mar men couth raleiff; And kep thaim in, quhill tha, for hungyr sor, Cum in his will, or ellis de tharfor. “Wallange,” he said, “I charge the for to bid, 985 “And kep thaim in; I will to Coupar rid. “Thow sall remayn, with fyve hundreth at thi will, “And I the morn sall cum with power the till.” Jhon Wallange said; ‘This charg I [her] forsaik; ‘Eftir this day all nycht I may nocht waik. 990 ‘For, trastis weill, thai will ische to the playn, ‘Thocht ye bid als, or ellis de in the payn.’ Sewart bad him byd, or wndyrly the blaym; “I the commaund, on gud king Eduuardis naym. “Or thar to God a wow I mak beforn, 995 “And thai brek out, to hyng the heych to morn.” Off that commaund Jhon Wallang had gret dreid; Sewart went fra thaim with nyne scor in to deid Next hand the wod, and his gud men off Fyff, That with him baid in all term off thair lyff. 1000 Wallace drew ner, his tym quhen that he saw, To the wod syd, and couth on Wallang caw; “Yon knycht to morn has hecht to hyng the hie. Fol. 86 b “Cum in till ws, I sall thi warrand be “In contrar him, and all king Eduuardis mycht. 1005 “Tak we hym quyk, I sall him hyng on hycht; “And gud lordschip I sall gyff the hereft “In this ilk land, that thi brothir has left.” Wallange was wyss, full sone couth wndrestand, Be lyklynes Wallace suld wyn the land; 1010 And bettir him war in to the rycht to bid, Than be in wer apon the Sotheroun sid. With schort wysment to Wallace in thai socht. Than Sewart cryt, and said; ‘That beis for nocht; ‘And fals off kynd thow art in heretage; 1015 ‘Eduuard on the has waryt ewill gret wage. ‘Her I sall byd, my purpos to fullfill, ‘Othir to de, or haiff the at my will.” For all his spech, to pass he wald nocht spar; Wyth full glaid hart Wallace resawyt thaim thar. 1020